County News – Tupo Newshttp://tupo.co.ke
Fresh Reliable Fast NewsFri, 19 Jan 2018 05:32:41 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4https://i2.wp.com/tupo.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cropped-favicon-1.png?fit=32%2C32County News – Tupo Newshttp://tupo.co.ke
3232125046245Drivers ask for urgent action on May Mahiu-Limuru roadhttp://tupo.co.ke/drivers-ask-urgent-action-may-mahiu-limuru-road/
http://tupo.co.ke/drivers-ask-urgent-action-may-mahiu-limuru-road/#respondFri, 19 Jan 2018 05:22:28 +0000http://tupo.co.ke/?p=28447The country is losing hundreds of man hours and millions of shillings every week due to the perennial traffic jams along the Mai Mahiu-Limuru road. Drivers using the road are now calling for urgent solutions to the weekly crisis which has left them incurring huge loses. This came as motorists using the road were for […]

]]>http://tupo.co.ke/drivers-ask-urgent-action-may-mahiu-limuru-road/feed/028447Murang’a MCA arrested after fist fight in county assemblyhttp://tupo.co.ke/muranga-mca-arrested-fist-fight-county-assembly/
http://tupo.co.ke/muranga-mca-arrested-fist-fight-county-assembly/#respondWed, 17 Jan 2018 05:22:28 +0000http://tupo.co.ke/?p=28404Kimorori Wempa MCA Amos Murigi was arrested on Tuesday and arraigned at a Murang’a court over the morning chaos at the county assembly. He did not take a plea. Chaos had erupted when two warring factions clashed over majority party leadership, just two weeks after they fought at a Kiambu hotel over the same issue. […]

]]>Kimorori Wempa MCA Amos Murigi was arrested on Tuesday and arraigned at a Murang’a court over the morning chaos at the county assembly. He did not take a plea.

Chaos had erupted when two warring factions clashed over majority party leadership, just two weeks after they fought at a Kiambu hotel over the same issue.

A faction led by Mr Murigi, who was elected in the controversial Kiambu meeting, had gone to occupy the offices.

They first visited Deputy Speaker Kihurunjo Mwangi’s office and handed him the letter effecting the changes. Mr Mwangi gave him the go-ahead to occupy the office, effectively replacing Mr Eric Kamande.

On January 5, Mr Murigi’s camp met at a hotel in Kiambu and replaced Mr Kamande, accusing him of failing to discharge his duties.

In the meeting, two MCAs and a Jubilee party official were beaten up by hired goons after they challenged the process of replacing Mr Kamande and Chief Whip Simon Wamwea.

On when Mr Murigi arrived at the majority leader’s office on Tuesday, Mr Kamande would not let him occupy the office.

“Get out of my office. I am the legitimate majority leader and you cannot evict me,” Mr Kamande said.

At this point, Nominated MCA Stephen Habire Chege came into the office to defend Mr Kamande, saying the replacement was stopped.

“Move out of the office. We will not allow you to cause bloodshed the way you did in Kiambu. You deserve to be in jail,” Mr Chege told the rival group.

Hell broke loose with MCAs engaging in a fist fight after two members tried to wrestle with Mr Murigi and his team.

After about five minutes of fighting, the group allied to Mr Murigi urged his team to get out of the office.

Mr Murigi said he was elected on January 5 in accordance with the law by the caucus at Nairobi, while Mr Kamande stood his ground that he was still the majority leader.

But Mr Kamande said: “You can’t eject me out of the office illegally yet there is a letter from Jubilee Party headquarters instructing the status quo to remain, pending its determination.”

Mr Murigi said the said letter from the party was fake and he does not recognise it.

Mr Kamande said he would sue the 15 MCAs for destroying office document.

Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria said no change of leadership would be effected on his watch.

Speaking in Murang’a Town, he accused the deputy speaker of occasioning the fights.

]]>http://tupo.co.ke/muranga-mca-arrested-fist-fight-county-assembly/feed/028404Deputy Governors want Senate to fast-track billhttp://tupo.co.ke/deputy-governors-want-senate-fast-track-bill/
http://tupo.co.ke/deputy-governors-want-senate-fast-track-bill/#respondTue, 16 Jan 2018 04:59:09 +0000http://tupo.co.ke/?p=28360Deputy Governors have asked the Senate to fast-track a crucial bill outlining the procedure for filling of a vacancy in the office of the Deputy Governor. The County government [Amendment] bill, 2017 seeks to entrench into the law the legal mechanism for appointment of a deputy governor in case of a vacancy. The Bill has […]

]]>Deputy Governors have asked the Senate to fast-track a crucial bill outlining the procedure for filling of a vacancy in the office of the Deputy Governor.

The County government [Amendment] bill, 2017 seeks to entrench into the law the legal mechanism for appointment of a deputy governor in case of a vacancy.

The Bill has already been published by Senate Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen and is awaiting maturity before being tabled in the House.

If approved, the Bill will give deputy Governors who assume office as governors an opportunity to appoint their deputies.

They would then present the names to the County Assemblies for approval, within 14 days after the office fell vacant.

“The enactment of the law should be expedited by the Senate, the bill is long overdue,” said Kisii deputy governor Joash Maangi who is also the secretary to the Forum for Deputy Governors.

The Senate resumes seating in February after a long recess but could vote to reduce the maturity days for the bill and even exempt it from the usual legal procedures in a bid to fast-track it.

Yesterday Murkomen said the Senate was cognizant of the urgency in enacting the law.

“We expect to do our part in expediting the process once we resume from recess next month,” said the Elgeyo Marakwet senator.

The drafters of the constitution failed to provide for the scenario in which a vacancy arises in the office of the Deputy governor should be filled.

This means that should the deputy governor assume office as governor there is no legal framework that allows such a governor to pick a deputy.

Neither does the law provide for the procedure of appointing a deputy governor in case a vacancy arises as a result of death of the occupier of the office.

Maangi said as per the Constitution, the Senate must maintain the spirit and letter of the framers of the supreme law who envisaged a vacancy in the office of the governor and provided that the deputy governor should assume office.

“Just like in the President where the law says the Deputy President should assume office the same scenario must be maintained for the county governments as is in the law,” he said.

Following the death of Nyeri governor Wahome Gakuru a number of politicians from the region elicited debate as to whether then Deputy governor Mutahi Kagiha would assume office or a fresh election would ensure.

Vicious political wars erupted that opposed the swearing in Kahiga as the governor of Nyeri county with politicians claiming that there was need to amend the law to force a by-election in case a governor dies in office.

Maangi said proponents of a by-election were mainly Senators and members of Parliament eyeing governors’ seats.

“The law provides for what needs to happen in the scenario of the death of a governor. However, what the Senate should fast-track is the bill providing for the procedure for the appointment of a deputy governor in case of a vacancy,” Maangi said.

He however, pointed out that such a lacuna exists in the constitution in case a deputy president assumes office of president.

“It is not clear how the deputy president who has assumed office as president would appoint a deputy president. This would have also applied for the case of county governments.

]]>http://tupo.co.ke/deputy-governors-want-senate-fast-track-bill/feed/028360100 cops attached to NTSA directed to go on leave pending re-deploymenthttp://tupo.co.ke/100-cops-attached-ntsa-directed-go-leave-pending-re-deployment/
http://tupo.co.ke/100-cops-attached-ntsa-directed-go-leave-pending-re-deployment/#respondTue, 16 Jan 2018 04:52:45 +0000http://tupo.co.ke/?p=28356One hundred police officers who were attached to the National Transport and Safety Authority have been directed to go on leave pending re-deployment after recent mandate change. According to a circular seen by Capital FM News, the officers will stay at home for 10 days after which they will report to Police Headquarters for fresh […]

]]>One hundred police officers who were attached to the National Transport and Safety Authority have been directed to go on leave pending re-deployment after recent mandate change.

According to a circular seen by Capital FM News, the officers will stay at home for 10 days after which they will report to Police Headquarters for fresh duties.

This comes a few days after President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the NTSA off the roads, saying the work of managing traffic should be left to traffic police.

The move is aimed at curbing road accidents that have increased in the recent past claiming the lives of many Kenyans.

According to NTSA statistics, more than 3,000 lives were lost to road carnage last year, 200 being killed in the month of December alone.

Kenya is ranked among countries with the worst road safety records globally based on a 2015 World Health Organisation (WHO) report titled the Global Status on Road Safety.

The report shows that Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda with respectively 29.1, 32.9 and 32.1 deaths per 100,000 people, are amongst the worst 10 performers on road fatalities in the continent. It is among the worst 20 in the world, with Uganda placed better 27.4.

While available statistics show that up to 3,000 people die annually from road accidents in Kenya, this year’s toll is likely to be even higher due to the increased number of accidents recorded since June.

WHO differs with the country’s official statistics and instead places the annual death toll at an average of 12,000, with many accidents blamed on faulty vehicles and minimal or total lack of enforcement by authorities coupled with bribery.

The report shows that no African country except South Africa meets any of the UN’s seven main vehicle safety standards.

Police Headquarters is yet to release the final accidents toll for 201

]]>http://tupo.co.ke/100-cops-attached-ntsa-directed-go-leave-pending-re-deployment/feed/028356Governor Charity Ngilu launches the grading of 1200 Km of roads,warns fuel stealinghttp://tupo.co.ke/28321-2/
http://tupo.co.ke/28321-2/#respondMon, 15 Jan 2018 13:36:08 +0000http://tupo.co.ke/?p=28321Kitui governor Charity Ngilu has threaten stern punitive action against county staff wont on siphoning fuel from road work machinery. “If you are faced with the temptation to bleed fuel from a machinery you are entittle to please resist as much as you can because the repercussion are dire,” said Ngilu. The governor was speaking […]

]]>Kitui governor Charity Ngilu has threaten stern punitive action against county staff wont on siphoning fuel from road work machinery.

“If you are faced with the temptation to bleed fuel from a machinery you are entittle to please resist as much as you can because the repercussion are dire,” said Ngilu.

The governor was speaking at the Kitui Stadium on Monday when she launched a programme by her government to grade 1200 kilometers of roads a cross the county.She said stealing of public resources will not be condoned.

Ngilu flagged 20 county road grading equipment that include graders, caterpillars, backhoe Loaders , tippers and service vans. She said it was regrettable that the machinery had laid idle as roads in Kitui remained impassable causing serious transport challenge to the residents.

“Just like I fount disused but serviceable mobile clinic that were lying idle in yards when I took over as governor, all these road work machinery lay idle as well. Our people will now benefit from their availability because most of the roads will now be made motor-able,” said Ngilu.

The county executive for lands and infrastructure Jacob Kakundi said that the grading to be undertaken by the county graders will be of top notch standard. “There is no room for doing shoddy jobs. Our staff have instructions to ensure that the kind of road to be done if the highest standard.

“We have made a deliberate decision to use county resources as a cost saving measure. This effort will cost us Sh 10 million instead of using close to Sh 50m for every kilometer of road if we had we outsourced the service,” said Kakundi.

He said all the 40 Wards will have their roads graded at the end of the programme. He added that it is part of the county annual roads work plan.

]]>http://tupo.co.ke/28321-2/feed/028321Kaguthi urges women in Central region to get married and have as many kids as possiblehttp://tupo.co.ke/kaguthi-urges-women-central-region-get-married-many-kids-possible/
http://tupo.co.ke/kaguthi-urges-women-central-region-get-married-many-kids-possible/#respondMon, 15 Jan 2018 13:33:37 +0000http://tupo.co.ke/?p=28316‘Get married and have as many kids as possible’ that is the message nyumba kumi chairman Joseph Kaguthi has for women from central Kenya. Kaguthi lamented that many young women are targeting to be married in wealthy families and shunning young and hardworking young men a move that has led to many women of marriageable […]

]]>‘Get married and have as many kids as possible’ that is the message nyumba kumi chairman Joseph Kaguthi has for women from central Kenya.

Kaguthi lamented that many young women are targeting to be married in wealthy families and shunning young and hardworking young men a move that has led to many women of marriageable age not settling into matrimony.

The nyumba kumi chairman also urged many to take as many wives as possible as long as they can support their families since it is the African culture.

Kaguthi regretaed that the population in Mt Kenya region is dwindling and said something needs to be done to save the future generations of the region from extinction.

‘ Many young women have their eyes into getting married in wealth families which are few,they end up shunning our hard working young men and as a result our population is dwindling” He said

Kaguthi also decried the high level of ilicit brew manufacturing in the region and said it has led to many broken families leading to many single mothers a move that has seen an escalation in crime.

He further said many illicit brew manufactures are women who then turn the blame on men who cannot perform in the ‘bedroom’. He urged residents to turn information to government agencies on those who brew illicit brews.

Kaguthi said nyumba kumi has been a success since its inception in 2013 and urged residents to embrace the idea in the fight against illicit brews and crime.

Kaguthi was speaking at ACK Church Baricho when he met nyumba kumi cluster officials for a sensitization programme

]]>http://tupo.co.ke/kaguthi-urges-women-central-region-get-married-many-kids-possible/feed/028316Lamu Villagers flee following Terror attackshttp://tupo.co.ke/lamu-villagers-flee-following-terror-attacks/
http://tupo.co.ke/lamu-villagers-flee-following-terror-attacks/#respondSun, 14 Jan 2018 13:14:31 +0000http://tupo.co.ke/?p=28295Villagers of Ishakani village on the Lamu-Somalia border have fled for their lives after Alshabaab militants raided the village early Sunday morning. Tension remains high in the village and neighboring areas after over 100 heavily armed Alshabaab militants woke up villagers at around 6am and forced them to listen to their summons on why they […]

]]>Villagers of Ishakani village on the Lamu-Somalia border have fled for their lives after Alshabaab militants raided the village early Sunday morning.

Tension remains high in the village and neighboring areas after over 100 heavily armed Alshabaab militants woke up villagers at around 6am and forced them to listen to their summons on why they think theirs is a just cause for over an hour.

The entire village has been deserted and villagers are currently putting up in makeshift camps in Kiunga area,five kilometers away.

The militants are said to have asked the villagers to stop cooperating with the government or face the consequences.

According to Shahibu Mohamed,a villager,the militants descended upon the village at around 6.20am knocking on doors and waking up villagers and preaching to them up to around 7.45am when they walked out and disappeared into the Boni forest.

Shahibu said the militants also asked the villagers to stop cooperating with security agencies or giving out information concerning them.

They also asked villagers to avoid at all costs travelling or seeking lifts in police or military vehicles since ‘they were the targets and we don’t want you people to die along with them’.

“They knocked on our doors and ordered us out of our houses at around 6.20am.They were more than 100,so many of them.They wore hoods over their faces and were heavily armed.A small group addressed us while another kept vigil around the village and in bushes around since we could hear them.They told us to stop cooperating with the government and security officers.They also asked us to stop taking rides in security vehicles lest we die when they bomb them.They said they were only interested in killing the KDF and police officers and not civilians.Later,they left and headed for the Boni forest.Thats when people began packing out of their houses.We are scared,”said Shahibu.

Another villager Ahmed Ali said the militants also went to the now deserted Ishakani police post where they brought down the Kenyan flag and hoisted their own in its place.

Currently,theres no single security camp in Ishakani area after the government directed that officers who were based at the Ishakani police post be moved out to pave way for special forces among them the KDF to take over a week ago.

“The militants brought down two flags;the Kenyan and police flags and hoisted theirs.They didn’t destroy anything though.They then headed to the village where they ordered people out and preached to them.They said we shouldn’t be scared,that they wont harm us but were only interested in security officers and asked us not to ride in their vehicles lest we die too,”he said.

Lamu county commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo confirmed the incident but called for calm saying there was no reason for alarm since security officers were fully in control of the situation.

“It is true. A group of between 60 to 100 suspected Al-Shabaab militants invaded Ishakani village this morning but within 30 minutes, we had already sent out a special team of KDF to pursue the terrorists. I am told residents are fleeing the area. I advise them not to do so. The militants are targeting the military and not the locals. Let them rest assured that their security is guaranteed since we have taken charge of the area,” said Kitiyo.

Ishakani is home to over 400 people majority of whom are native Bajunis.

The raid comes just hours after Alshabaab militants ambushed a security convoy killing a civilian woman and injuring five security officers at Nyongoro area along the Lamu-Garsen highway on Saturday.

Two police land cruisers were also torched by the militants during the incident.

The latest raid comes just hours after Linda Boni operation director had issued a statement saying security forces were in hot pursuit of the Saturday incident.

Incidents of Alshabaab raiding villages only to issue lectures to villagers raent new in Lamu.

On July 14, 2014, a group of over 60 Al-Shabaab militants raided Pandanguo village where they leactured villagers for about three hours before robbing six KPR officers in the area of their guns.

On August 15, 2015, over 80 heavily armed militants among them four Caucasians raided Basuba village at around 5am, assembled the villagers and lectured them for over two hours.

]]>http://tupo.co.ke/lamu-villagers-flee-following-terror-attacks/feed/028295Laboso unhappy with Education standards in Bomethttp://tupo.co.ke/laboso-unhappy-education-standards-bomet/
http://tupo.co.ke/laboso-unhappy-education-standards-bomet/#respondSun, 14 Jan 2018 09:46:45 +0000http://tupo.co.ke/?p=28284Bomet Governor Dr Joyce Laboso has described as shocking and sad the fact that 10 percent of students who sat for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in the county will join universities. Dr Laboso said it was unfortunate the county posted a mean-score of 3.4 in the exams compared to 3.9 and 5.7 mean […]

]]>Bomet Governor Dr Joyce Laboso has described as shocking and sad the fact that 10 percent of students who sat for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in the county will join universities.

Dr Laboso said it was unfortunate the county posted a mean-score of 3.4 in the exams compared to 3.9 and 5.7 mean scores recorded in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

“Out of 16,431 students who sat for KCSE examination in Bomet County last year, only 1,645 got between A- and C+, translating to only 10 percent who will get places in universities,” Dr Laboso said.

Speaking during an education stakeholders meeting in Bomet town, the Governor said the failure by any of the schools to emerge in the top 100 in the country.

“17 percent of the students who got C- will pursue diploma courses while 16.4 percent who got a D+ will be eligible to start off with certificate courses. The rest – who form the majority at 66 percent – got D, D- and E.It is a dead end for them,”

Dr Laboso the county had set aside over Sh 45 million on bursaries in the current financial year with over 504 students in secondary schools under the program.

“Much as secondary school education is not devolved, as a County, we cannot detach ourselves when our children are failing exams. The function may be domiciled at the national level but we feel the pain at the local level and must chart the way forward,” Dr Laboso said.

Deputy Governor Dr Hillary Barchok, Senator Dr Christopher Langat, Secondary school principals, Members of the Boards of Management and Parents Teachers Association officials, Members of County Assemblies were among those who attended the function at the Centre for Devolved Governance (CDG).

]]>http://tupo.co.ke/laboso-unhappy-education-standards-bomet/feed/028284Police intensify search for Shabaab attackers in Lamuhttp://tupo.co.ke/police-intensify-search-shabaab-attackers-lam/
http://tupo.co.ke/police-intensify-search-shabaab-attackers-lam/#respondSun, 14 Jan 2018 07:25:20 +0000http://tupo.co.ke/?p=28274The operation to hunt down suspected Al-Shabaab terrorists who killed a woman and injured five police officers at Nyongoro along the Lamu-Mombasa road on Saturday morning has been intensified. Linda Boni Operation Director Joseph Kanyiri says they will not relent until all the criminals are arrested or killed. Mr Kanyiri said enough security officers have […]

]]>The operation to hunt down suspected Al-Shabaab terrorists who killed a woman and injured five police officers at Nyongoro along the Lamu-Mombasa road on Saturday morning has been intensified.

Linda Boni Operation Director Joseph Kanyiri says they will not relent until all the criminals are arrested or killed.

Mr Kanyiri said enough security officers have already been deployed at Nyongoro and its environs.

Mr Kanyiri said the search is also concentrated in areas near Boni Forest where the militants are believed to be hiding.

Nyongoro has become an area of concern due to the numerous Al-Shabaab attacks and subsequent killings conducted by the Somalia-based Al-Qaeda-linked group.

In mid-June 2017, three Al-Shabaab hideouts were discovered and destroyed in Nyongoro with an undisclosed number of the terrorists killed.

However, the number of terrorist attacks that are being witnessed in the same area continue to increase with members of the public and even the security agencies themselves raising concerns over the same.

But Mr Kanyiri said security forces have already identified notorious hotspots that are normally easily attacked by Al-Shabaab and that adequate security barricades have been set up in such areas.

Areas that have become known Al-Shabaab attack spots on the Lamu-Garsen road include Nyongoro, Gamba, Mambo Sasa Corner, Lango la Simba and Milihoi.

Mr Kanyiri asked members of the public to cooperate with security officers to ensure the security of travellers on the road is guaranteed.

“We have deployed enough security officers in Gamba, Nyongoro and the surrounding areas to pursue the attackers. Our men out there will continue with the hunt for the militants while intensive investigations concerning the attack are also underway. In the meantime, we have requested the government to [provide] more military vehicles in order to boost the war on terror in this region. We will not tire on this. It’s an onerous task that calls for sacrifice. Citizens must be calm and cooperate with the security agencies on the ground,” said Mr Kanyiri.

Meanwhile, Lamu leaders have sent their condolences to families and friends of those who lost their lives during the Saturday Al-Shabaab attack at Nyongoro in Lamu West.

Lamu West MP Stanley Muthama and Lamu Senator Anwar Loitiptip also condemned the 10.30am terrorist attack and called on the government to come up with strategies which will ensure maximum protection of citizens in the region.

In his statement, Mr Muthama thanked President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto for their commitment in ensuring the war on Al-Shabaab in Lamu County and the neighbouring northern Kenya counties is intensified and security restored.

“It pains me when we look so helpless in the hands of terrorists. Our officers and citizens have suffered on our roads. I call on the people of Lamu West to be calm and cooperate with the security agencies in ensuring the war on Al-Shabaab succeeds. I [have confidence in] the government. It has been working tirelessly to solve the problem of insecurity conclusively,” said Mr Muthama.

Mr Loitiptip on his side said they are working with other leaders in the region in pushing for reforms in Lamu County’s security.

“I encourage people to always share information with our security agencies. As county leaders, we will continue supporting the government in ensuring Lamu and the nation at large is secured,” said Mr Loitiptip.

During the Saturday attack in Nyongoro, two police vehicles were set ablaze by the heavily armed terrorists who later fled into the nearby forest.

]]>http://tupo.co.ke/police-intensify-search-shabaab-attackers-lam/feed/028274Thugs shoot man, burn his wife in Nyamirahttp://tupo.co.ke/thugs-shoot-man-burn-wife-nyamira/
http://tupo.co.ke/thugs-shoot-man-burn-wife-nyamira/#respondSat, 13 Jan 2018 14:58:16 +0000http://tupo.co.ke/?p=28244A woman was burnt to death while her husband was shot and injured when thugs invaded their home in Nyamira County on Friday night. The criminals broke into the couple’s house in Miruka, West Mugirango Constituency, prompting Mr Sam Nyakundi to hide in the ceiling while his wife Pauline Kwamboka sought refuge in a store. […]